Charging valve tool

ABSTRACT

A charging valve tool apparatus for use in charging refrigeration units such as air conditioners, in which the tool is connected to the system to be charged and to compressed gas tanks for charging the system. The tool has a shaft running therethrough formed into a handle on one end and a plug engaging portion on the other end thereof. The shaft is adapted to slide through the casing into engagement with the plug and for rotation for opening the plug for charging of the system. Special seals are provided along with means to limit the sliding movement of the shaft.

wllitttd States Patent [1 1 Bandy 1 Feb. 20, 1973 [54] CHARGING VALVE TOOL [76] Inventor: Charles Robert Bandy, 2416 S. Goldenrod Road, Orlando, Fla. 32807 [22] Filed: June 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 155,716

Primary Examiner-William .l. Wye Attorney-Robert W. Duckworth et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A charging valve tool apparatus for use in charging refrigeration units such as air conditioners, in which the tool is connected to the system to be charged and to compressed gas tanks for charging the system. The tool has a shaft running there-through formed into a handle on one end and a plug engaging portion on the other end thereof. The shaft is adapted to slide through the easing into engagement with the plug and for rotation for opening the plug for charging of the system. Special seals are provided along with means to limit the sliding movement of the shaft.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEBZO m5 a, MIL! FIG; 3

"Ill INVENTOR. YCHARLES R.BANDY ATTORNE YS.

CHARGING VALVE TOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to charging valve tools and especially to tools for use in charging air conditioning systems with fluids such as freon in a simple and economical manner.

In the past a number of systems have been provided for charging air conditioner or other compressor operated systems which are sealed systems having a gas or other fluid under pressure therein. One of the most commonly used prior devices was a tool adapted to puncture or rupture copper tubing utilized in refrigerating mechanisms to charge the mechanism through the punctured hole, and then seal the hole. This system has the advantage of being adapted for use with most systems, but the disadvantage in that the resealed punctured portion tends to. provide a weak point in the over-all system where through inadequate sealing or corrosion, the resealed area can result in leaks. Accordingly, most refrigeration systems, including those used in various types of air conditioning systems, provide plugs or caps which are generally inaccessible to anyone without special tools for charging the systems. This allows a person with a tool for charging a particular system to connect a cylinder of com-' pressed gas to the charging tool at one point, and to connect the charging tool to the refrigeration system at another point and in which the tool is adapted to release the cap or plug to the system for allowing the charging gas to enter and then to reseal the system by reconnecting the cap or plug to the system. Typical charging valves can be seen in the following U. S. Pat. Nos.: 2,667,760 for a Rupturable Apparatus for Sealing Fluid System Elements; 2,614,400 for a Charging Valve in Refrigeration Apparatus; 3,424,181 for a Refrigeration Valve; 3,299,648, for a Pressure System Charging Tool and Method; 2,464,563 for a Refrigeration Charging and Evacuation Apparatus; and 3,208,232 for a Refrigerating Apparatus. Each of these patents illustrates systems for charging refrigeration systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to Charging Valve Tools for use in charging refrigeration systems with refrigerants such as freon. The present tool has a casing with a pair of inlet ports for attaching the compressed refrigerant gas to either one of the inlet charging ports, which ports can also be opened to the atmosphere for evacuating a refrigerant system. The casing also has a connecting port .for connection to the refrigerant system and a passageway between the ports, and finally, a fourth opening for a shaft to pass through. A shaft is provided which has been formed at one end to form a handle, and the other end has been formed into a fluted or splined surface for engaging a plug or cap in a refrigerant system. The shaft passes through the casing and is adapted to slide and rotate on its longitudinal axis in the casing. A threaded sleeve is attached to the casing in a manner that the thread portion is adapted for attachment to the refrigeration system at the location of a plug or cap to the system. The shaft has a pair of O-ring seals located in the casing, surrounding the shafts and separated by a spacer sleeve and has a C-ring attached thereto for operation with a pair of surfaces to BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a study of the written description and the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2'is a sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the shaft in a special position; and

' FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, a charging valve tool 10 is illustrated having a casing 11 with a shaft 12 passing therethrough. Shaft 12 is formed at one end into a bent or elbow-type handle 13 and is formed at the other end with fluted or splined plug connecting or attaching means 14. The shaft 12 is chosen of a predetermined size initially, and grooves 15 placed therein to make the fluted surface 14. The shaft 12 is adapted to slide in the casing 11 and also adapted for rotation therein, and is provided with a packing nut or brass fitting 16 which is threadedly attached to the casing 11; when the fitting 16 is threaded to the casing 11 it abuts a sleeve 17 which has an annular groove 20 therein in which a C-ring is placed, which C-ring 21 rides inside the sleeve 17 and blocks the removal of the shaft 13 from the casing 11 by abutting against the cap 16, and also blocks the sliding of the shaft in the opposite direction by C-ring 21 being stopped by the annular protrusion 18. The annular protrusion 18 also engages an O-ring seal 22 which surrounds a shaft 12 providing a seal along the shaft, which seal 22 abuts a spacer sleeve 23 which intum abuts a second O-ring seal 24 which rides on an annular ledge 25 inside the casing 11. O-ring seals 22 and 24 separated by the spacer 23 provide a seal along the shaft 12 while the shaft is sliding or rotatingon its longitudinal axis. The casing 11 also has two inlets or charging ports 26 and 27 which are each threaded for engagement with a pair of threaded caps 28 and 30 The threaded caps 28 and 30 have a pair of washer type seals 31 and 32 therein for sealing against the escape of gas through a port not in use. A third port or system connecting port 33 has a washer seal 34 and is adapted for engaging the plug or cap connection 35 of a refrigerant system to be charged or evacuated for sealing tool 10 to the refrigerant system connector 35. A threaded sleeve 36 located within the casing 11 is threaded therein at 37 so that it can be removed or inserted into the casing, but protrudes into an enlarged portion 38 and passes through the casing so that its external threads 40 can engage the internal threads 41 of the connection 35 of 'the refrigeration system being charged or evacuated.

Once the tool 10 is connected to the refrigerator system connection 35 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the handle 13 may be grasped to slide the shaft 12 along its longitudinal axis from-the position shown in FIG. 1 with the C-ring 21 against the cap 16, to the position shown in FIG. 2 with a C-ring against the shoulder 18, thereby sliding the fluted portion 14 into engagement with a similarly but internally fluted cap or plug 43, and the handle 13 may be rotated for disengaging or removing the plug or cap 43 to connect an opening from the refrigerant system 44 to one or both of the charging ports 26 or 27 through the tool 10 from the connecting the threaded port 41 to the inlet ports 26 and 27. The dual ports 26 and 27 advantageously provide each connection to the cylinders of compressed gas by providing optional ports whichever lines up in the best position one the tool is attached to the refrigerant system, and

in the case of large systems, provides for the attachment of two tanks simultaneously, as desired. The dual O-ring seals 22 and 24 separated by the spacer 23 advantageously provides a sure and effective seal against the refrigerant gas escaping, but at the same time providing a seal that can be easily replaced by commercially available O-rings. As an example, some of the materials that may be used in the present valve include a shaft 12 made of stainless steel, O-ring seals and washers of neoprene and the casing and other parts are of brass which can be chrome plated if desired. One advantage which should be noted is the dual charging ports 26 and 27 which can have a gauge connect to one port while the other port has a charging tank connected thereto providing additional flexibility to the tool. It should also be pointed out that the threaded sleeve 40 could be fixedly attached to the tool, but by having a removable sleeve it'allows additional flexibility in the event the original sleeve is damaged.

Accordingly, this invention is not to be constructed as limited to the particular forms disclosed herein since these are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

I claim:

1. A charging valve apparatus for use in charging refrigerant systems, comprising in combination:

a. a casing, said casing having first port means adapted for connection to a tank of refrigerant and second port means and a passageway between said first and second port means, said casing also having a shaft opening therein;

. shaft means passing through said casing from said casing shaft opening to said second port means, said shaft means being rotatable and slidable on its longitudinal axis in said casing and said shaft means forming a handle on one end and an engaging surface on the other end thereof;

c. a threaded sleeve being attached to said casing with a threaded portion extending toward said second port means, said threaded sleeve having said shaft means passing therethrough and being adapted for threaded engagement with a refrigerant system to be charged, so that said shaft means can be slid on its longitudinal axis for engaging and opening said refrigerant system to be changed,- and a plurality of seals located in said casing and surrounding said shaft means, said'seals being spaced apart by a spacer sleeve and means for stopping the sliding of said shaft means en each direction in said casing.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said first port means includes two ports, either of which is adapted to be capped.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said engaging surface on said shaft means is a fluted surface.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which said means for stopping said sliding of said shaft means includes a C-ring attached to said shaft means for stopping the sliding of said shaft means against surfaces in said casing.

5. The apparatus in accordance. with claim 4 in which said threaded sleeve is removably attached to said casmg.

one said seal is an O-ring which is maintained in position by a sleeve having an annular protrusion thereon, which said protrusion on said sleeve also acts as a stopping surface for said C-ring on said shaft means.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in which 

1. A charging valve apparatus for use in charging refrigerant systems, comprising in combination: a. a casing, said casing having first port means adapted for connection to a tank of refrigerant and second port means and a passageway between said first and second port means, said casing also having a shaft opening therein; b. shaft means passing through said casing from said casing shaft opening to said second port means, said shaft means being rotatable and slidable on its longitudinal axis in said casing and said shaft means forming a handle on one end and an engaging surface on the other end thereof; c. a threaded sleeve being attached to said casing with a threaded portion extending toward said second port means, said threaded sleeve having said shaft means passing therethrough and being adapted for threaded engagement with a refrigerant system to be charged, so that said shaft means can be slid on its longitudinal axis for engaging and opening said refrigerant system to be changed; and d. a plurality of seals located in said casing and surrounding said shaft means, said seals being spaced apart by a spacer sleeve and means for stopping the sliding of said shaft means en each direction in said casing.
 1. A charging valve apparatus for use in charging refrigerant systems, comprising in combination: a. a casing, said casing having first port means adapted for connection to a tank of refrigerant and second port means and a passageway between said first and second port means, said casing also having a shaft opening therein; b. shaft means passing through said casing from said casing shaft opening to said second port means, said shaft means being rotatable and slidable on its longitudinal axis in said casing and said shaft means forming a handle on one end and an engaging surface on the other end thereof; c. a threaded sleeve being attached to said casing with a threaded portion extending toward said second port means, said threaded sleeve having said shaft means passing therethrough and being adapted for threaded engagement with a refrigerant system to be charged, so that said shaft means can be slid on its longitudinal axis for engaging and opening said refrigerant system to be changed; and d. a plurality of seals located in said casing and surrounding said shaft means, said seals being spaced apart by a spacer sleeve and means for stopping the sliding of said shaft means en each direction in said casing.
 2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said first port means includes two ports, either of which is adapted to be capped.
 3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said engaging surface on said shaft means is a fluted surface.
 4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which said means for stopping said sliding of said shaft means includes a C-ring attached to said shaft means for stopping the sliding of said shaft means against surfaces in said casing.
 5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which said threaded sleeve is removably attached to said casing. 